LONDON, 21 JUNE 2016 – Malaysia will host the Broadband Asia Forum 2016, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirmed last week. The event will take place on 21 – 23 September 2016.

“We are very happy to have been given the opportunity to host the CTO Broadband Asia Forum 2016 in Kuala Lumpur from 21 to 23 September. We owe our thanks to the Secretary-General of the CTO for this,” said Nur Sulyna Abdullah, Chief Officer, Corporate Strategy at MCMC.

“Preparations for this event are going very well, and we are particularly keen for members from other regions to join us in Kuala Lumpur for this event as there are numerous lessons to be learned from countries from Asia,” said Shola Taylor, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), organisers of the event.

Broadband access and adoption is crucial to seizing the full benefits of the information society. From education and healthcare to creating jobs and stimulating innovation basic Internet access is no longer sufficient. However, progress in providing faster access varies tremendously across the world and this is reflected within the diverse continent of Asia.

Organised by the CTO and hosted by MCMC, the September event is expected to address challenges and opportunities for broadband in Asia including:
• Impact of broadband access on the economic development of the region
• Progress on national broadband plans
• Regulatory factors affecting broadband access
• Long-haul and last mile solutions, including 4G/LTE
• Infrastructure financing, broadband applications, IoT and Big Data, and spectrum opportunities.

About the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
With the birth and explosion of a new convergent communications and multimedia industry in Malaysia in the mid 1990s, a new paradigm requiring new approaches in media policies and regulation became a necessity. In line with this, Malaysia adopted a convergence regulation model with regards to the communications and multimedia industry in November 1998. Two legislations were enacted to give effect to the new regulatory model: the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which set out a new regulatory licensing framework for the industry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act (1998) which created a new regulatory body, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. More information can be hound here: http://www.skmm.gov.my

About the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth intergovernmental organisation in the field of information and communication technologies. Although our history can be traced back to 1901 with the establishment of the Pacific Cable Board, the organisation has only existed in its present form as an intergovernmental treaty organisation since 1967. With a diverse membership spanning developed and least developed countries, small island developing states, and more recently also the private sector and civil society, the CTO aims to become a trusted partner for sustainable development for all through ICTs. More information about us here